Confinement
by sarahBObara
Summary: What began as a simple recon mission, has turned into a nightmare for our favorite ninja in orange...
1. Chapter 1

**NARUTO – CONFINEMENT**

**Chapter 1**

Naruto's eyes scanned the area instinctively as he jumped over the trees, leading him closer and closer to the Grass Country. His mission was simple. Find the suspected ninja group and then return to the village with a report of their plans. A simple recon mission; he had done many with his team, but this was his first reconnaissance mission alone. Truth be told, he was slightly nervous but he wasn't going to return to Lady Tsunade without any information. That was scarier than the mission itself. A chill ran down his spine as he thought of how angry she would be if he actually had the nerve to return empty-handed. He shook his head to clear away the unpleasant image.

Suddenly, something caught his eye. He stopped on a tree branch ahead of him and glanced down. There was something sticking out of the ground in a small clearing, just below him. He gently hopped down from the tree branch and examined the strange object. The top of it was protruding about three inches above the dirt and he had no idea how long it was or how deep it was buried. He recognized the piece above the ground as a hilt of a sword. He could tell just by the metal engravings on the hilt that it was of Konoha origins. He grabbed it and yanked but it did not budge.

Now, with his interests perked, Naruto took a deep breath and pulled with all his might. This time the sword came straight out of the ground. Naruto stumbled and fall on his backside by the unexpected ease of the task. He held the sword out at arm's length and examined it thoroughly.

"This is definitely something of ours, but what is it doing all the way out here?" He held it closer and looked over the blade. "And the blade is made of our metals…." He sighed and placed the sword against a tree's trunk and made a small camp that would last the night. He curled up by a dim fire and fell into a fitful sleep.

Halfway through his slumber, something woke him. He had heard a small crack in the woods. It was faint, but loud enough to alert him that it was not a small rodent that had made the sound. No, it was something bigger, something much heavier that had made the noise.

He held a kunai tightly in his right hand and surveyed his surroundings. He could sense another person's chakara, but he could not make out from which direction it was coming from. Finally he heard a _thump _come from behind him. Before he could turn to defend himself from, a cloth had covered his mouth and nose. He swore to himself as he could feel his muscles failing him. He grunted and fell limply into unconsciousness , never to see his attacker.

**Chapter 2**

Sakura sat on her bed and stared out at the starry night sky. "Naruto, how are you doing on your first solo mission," she asked no one in particular. The young shinobi was worried for her old friend, but at the same time she knew that he had trained under Jiraiya, one of the Sannin and that he was capable of taking care of himself.

But old habits always crept up on her whenever Naruto was concerned. Memories of the young, loud, and obnoxious brat that had been hated by everyone in the village flowed through her mind as she gazed at the twinkling stars. She smiled as she thought of how much he had changed. Finally, reassured that her friend was all right, she climbed into her bed and fell asleep.

Naruto groaned as he opened his eyes. He grunted in pain as he head throbbed. He tried to push himself up, but something was binding his arms behind his back. He glanced around, confused. "Where am I? And why is everything so dark?"

"Ah… so you're finally awake."

Naruto gasped, as he heard the voice. He recognized the voice almost immediately.

"Kabuto! So it was you! You're the one who attacked me!"

Kabuto smirked. "Yes, were rather easy to capture, not that I'm surprised at all."

Naruto's temper flared. "Where are you," he yelled, walking around with his arms outstretched.

He then realized something, he can't see anything but he knows his eyes are open.

"Hey! Take this damned blindfold off of me! Look me in the face, you coward!"

Kabuto tilted his head. "Oh…?" He smirked again. "There's no blindfold."

Naruto reached up to his eyes. He was right, there was no blindfold. "Then what did you do to me!"

Kabuto's smirk widened. "So it seems the effects have already begun."

Naruto stopped and turned his head towards Kabuto's voice. "Effects? What do you mean?"

Kabuto sighed. "And as always, you're still slow on the uptake."

Naruto scoffed. "Answer my question!"

Kabuto smiled a wicked smile. "You've been poisoned, Naruto."

Naruto gasped. Poisoned? When? And then he remembered the cloth. "Damn! That's when!"

"Ahh, remember now, do we?"

"Shut up! Why did you poison me and where did you take me? "

"I poisoned you so that I could bring you here."

"Well where's _here_?"

" Orochimaru-sama's base."

Naruto's stomach tied itself into a tight knot. "Orochimaru!"

"But what does he want with me."

Kabuto shrugged. "Who knows. I'm only following orders."

Naruto's screamed in anger. Then he thought of something. "Hey, Kabuto…"

"Hmmm?"

"What good would I be to Orochimaru if I died because of your poison?"

"You would serve no purpose at all. That's why I have an antidote."

Naruto blinked in shock. "You have an antidote? Well give it to me!"

"I've been given orders to only give the antidote if you promise to cooperate with me and follow all of Orochimaru-sama's orders."

"Ah, to hell with that! As if I'd ever follow orders from you and that _freak_!"

Kabuto smirked and wiggled the bottle in his hand. "Well, since I'm feeling generous today, I'll give you a choice."

"The poison doesn't take full effect until the third day after it's been administrated. Why don't you think about it tonight and I'll come back tomorrow after you've had a good night's rest and see if you've changed your mind."

"It's either that, or I come down there and get rid of you myself."

Naruto stood in silence for a while, thinking. He was in a bad situation, but he had a chance to live for a while versus being killed right now.

"All right," he said after some thought. "I'll think it over."

"Good answer." Kabuto put the small vile in his pocket and turned to leave. "I'll be back tomorrow morning. Enjoy your stay." He snickered and tightly closed the cell behind him, leaving Naruto alone in the cold, damp, cell.

Naruto held his hand out in front of him with three fingers up and two down. He knew how many fingers he was holding up, but he could not see them. Fear ran through his body. He knelt on the hard floor and covered his face with his hands. He really was blind.


	2. Chapter 2

**NARUTO- CONFINEMENT**

**Chapter 2**

Sakura sat on her bed and stared out at the starry night sky. "Naruto, how are you doing on your first solo mission," she asked no one in particular. The young shinobi was worried for her old friend, but at the same time she knew that he had trained under Jiraiya, one of the Sannin and that he was capable of taking care of himself.

But old habits always crept up on her whenever Naruto was concerned. Memories of the young, loud, and obnoxious brat that had been hated by everyone in the village flowed through her mind as she gazed at the twinkling stars. She smiled as she thought of how much he had changed. Finally, reassured that her friend was all right, she climbed into her bed and fell asleep.

Naruto groaned as he opened his eyes. He grunted in pain as he head throbbed. He tried to push himself up, but something was binding his arms behind his back. He glanced around, confused. "Where am I? And why is everything so dark?"

"Ah… so you're finally awake."

Naruto gasped, as he heard the voice. He recognized the voice almost immediately.

"Kabuto! So it was you! You're the one who attacked me!"

Kabuto smirked. "Yes, were rather easy to capture, not that I'm surprised at all."

Naruto's temper flared. "Where are you," he yelled, walking around with his arms outstretched.

He then realized something, he can't see anything but he knows his eyes are open.

"Hey! Take this damned blindfold off of me! Look me in the face, you coward!"

Kabuto tilted his head. "Oh…?" He smirked again. "There's no blindfold."

Naruto reached up to his eyes. He was right, there was no blindfold. "Then what did you do to me!"

Kabuto's smirk widened. "So it seems the effects have already begun."

Naruto stopped and turned his head towards Kabuto's voice. "Effects? What do you mean?"

Kabuto sighed. "And as always, you're still slow on the uptake."

Naruto scoffed. "Answer my question!"

Kabuto smiled a wicked smile. "You've been poisoned, Naruto."

Naruto gasped. Poisoned? When? And then he remembered the cloth. "Damn! That's when!"

"Ahh, remember now, do we?"

"Shut up! Why did you poison me and where did you take me? "

"I poisoned you so that I could bring you here."

"Well where's _here_?"

" Orochimaru-sama's base."

Naruto's stomach tied itself into a tight knot. "Orochimaru!"

"But what does he want with me."

Kabuto shrugged. "Who knows. I'm only following orders."

Naruto's screamed in anger. Then he thought of something. "Hey, Kabuto…"

"Hmmm?"

"What good would I be to Orochimaru if I died because of your poison?"

"You would serve no purpose at all. That's why I have an antidote."

Naruto blinked in shock. "You have an antidote? Well give it to me!"

"I've been given orders to only give the antidote if you promise to cooperate with me and follow all of Orochimaru-sama's orders."

"Ah, to hell with that! As if I'd ever follow orders from you and that _freak_!"

Kabuto smirked and wiggled the bottle in his hand. "Well, since I'm feeling generous today, I'll give you a choice."

"The poison doesn't take full effect until the third day after it's been administrated. Why don't you think about it tonight and I'll come back tomorrow after you've had a good night's rest and see if you've changed your mind."

"It's either that, or I come down there and get rid of you myself."

Naruto stood in silence for a while, thinking. He was in a bad situation, but he had a chance to live for a while versus being killed right now.

"All right," he said after some thought. "I'll think it over."

"Good answer." Kabuto put the small vile in his pocket and turned to leave. "I'll be back tomorrow morning. Enjoy your stay." He snickered and tightly closed the cell behind him, leaving Naruto alone in the cold, damp, cell.

Naruto held his hand out in front of him with three fingers up and two down. He knew how many fingers he was holding up, but he could not see them. Fear ran through his body. He knelt on the hard floor and covered his face with his hands. He really was blind.

**NARUTO- CONFINEMENT**

**Chapter 3**

Naruto lay on his back on the cold floor of his cell. What should he do? He could tell Kabuto that he won't cooperate and be killed or he could cooperate and have a chance to live for a little while longer. "But what are Orochimaru's plans? What does he want with me?"

He turned on his side and closed his eyes. "How did I get into this mess? All I was supposed to do was gather some information on Grass ninja… how did all this happen?" He sighed and sat up and hid his face in his hands against his knees. "Sakura-chan's gonna kill me, if I don't figure this out somehow," he laughed.

Sakura-chan… He wished she was here with him. She would know what to do and maybe she could cure his… his…

"Blindness," he said aloud.

He sighed again and finally came to his decision. "I'll have to cooperate with them," he said wrinkling his nose up at the thought. "I won't like it, but… It's the only way to save myself."

Sakura sat up in her bed and stretched." Mmmmmph…I slept like a baby last night. I have a feeling today is going to be a good day." She grabbed her hairbrush and ran it over her short, pink hair a few times before going out into the village.

"Good morning, Naruto-kun."

Naruto tilted his head as Kabuto walked forward. He stood over the railing and stared down at his prisoner. "Have you made up your mind yet?"

Naruto sat up on his haunches. "Yes, I have. I-I'll cooperate."

"Good." Kabuto turned to leave. As Naruto heard the large door open he yelled out.

"Hey! Wh-What about the antidote? You promised me that you would give me the antidote if I promised to cooperate!"

Kabuto smirked. "Oh, you mean this," he shook the small, glass bottom in his fingers. "You can have this _after_ you've done everything Orochimaru-sama has asked of you."

Naurto screamed. "You lied to me! You said that-!"

"I don't remember saying anything like 'I promise'."

"You-"

Before he could say more, Kabuto laughed and closed the massive door behind him.

Naruto clenched his fists and hit himself on the head. "Stupid! How could I have been _so_ stupid!"

The next morning Kabuto


	3. Chapter 3

**NARUTO- CONFINEMENT**

**Chapter 3**

Naruto lay on his back on the cold floor of his cell. What should he do? He could tell Kabuto that he won't cooperate and be killed or he could cooperate and have a chance to live for a little while longer. "But what are Orochimaru's plans? What does he want with me?"

He turned on his side and closed his eyes. "How did I get into this mess? All I was supposed to do was gather some information on Grass ninja… how did all this happen?" He sighed and sat up and hid his face in his hands against his knees. "Sakura-chan's gonna kill me, if I don't figure this out somehow," he laughed.

Sakura-chan… He wished she was here with him. She would know what to do and maybe she could cure his… his…

"Blindness," he said aloud.

He sighed again and finally came to his decision. "I'll have to cooperate with them," he said wrinkling his nose up at the thought. "I won't like it, but… It's the only way to save myself."

Sakura sat up in her bed and stretched." Mmmmmph…I slept like a baby last night. I have a feeling today is going to be a good day." She grabbed her hairbrush and ran it over her short, pink hair a few times before going out into the village.

"Good morning, Naruto-kun."

Naruto tilted his head as Kabuto walked forward. He stood over the railing and stared down at his prisoner. "Have you made up your mind yet?"

Naruto sat up on his haunches. "Yes, I have. I-I'll cooperate."

"Good." Kabuto turned to leave. As Naruto heard the large door open he yelled out.

"Hey! Wh-What about the antidote? You promised me that you would give me the antidote if I promised to cooperate!"

Kabuto smirked. "Oh, you mean this," he shook the small, glass bottom in his fingers. "You can have this _after_ you've done everything Orochimaru-sama has asked of you."

Naurto screamed. "You lied to me! You said that-!"

"I don't remember saying anything like 'I promise'."

"You-"

Before he could say more, Kabuto laughed and closed the massive door behind him.

Naruto clenched his fists and hit himself on the head. "Stupid! How could I have been _so_ stupid!"


	4. Chapter 4

Naruto Confinement Chapter 4

Kabuto walked down one of the identical, dimly lit hallways to the room where his superior waited. He knocked lightly on the door.

"Enter."

He pushed the door open and walked inside. "Good evening, Orochimaru-sama."

The snake-like man glanced up at his subordinate and watched as he walked towards him.

"Well?"

"He has agreed."

"Good… and the antidote?"

"Not yet administered. I was thinking of letting the poison run through his body a little longer so that he will be easier to contain when the time comes."

Orochimaru nodded. "Very well… but I will need him alive Kabuto," he said with a hint of warning in his voice.

"Of course. I'll be very careful with your new subject."

"I would hope so. That is all."

Tsunade sat at her desk with her fingers laced in front of her face.

"Shizune," she called. A few moments later a small woman with short brown hair entered the Hokage's office.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama?"

"How long has it been since Naruto left the village?"

"Um… let's see.. three days I think…"

"And why would it take a Konoha ninja three days to complete a simple recon mission?"

Shizune stared at the Hokage. "I don't-"

"It shouldn't! Not even Naruto should take this long!"

Shizune cringed. "T-Tsunade-sama?"

The blonde haired hokage slammed her hands against the desk as she stood.

"Shizune, " she shouted.

The young shinobi stiffened nervously. "Yes Ma'am!"

Tsunade handed a small piece of paper to her.

"Gather everyone on this list! Tell them to come here instantly!"

"Yes Ma'am!" Shizune quickly left the office, the door slamming tightly behind her.

Tsunade sat back at her desk and closed her eyes in frustration.


	5. Chapter 5

Naruto Confinement Chapter 5

Naruto sat on the floor with his back against the wall. It was nearly time; Kabuto would be coming soon with his breakfast and with the 'something else'.

Just then, the door above him opened and Kabuto called out to him. "Breakfast," he said impersonally.

Naruto sighed and stood up. He still couldn't see anything and he hated waiting in the dark. Kabuto finally stood in front of him and placed the tray of food gently on the floor. "Arm," he said extending his own with his palm facing upwards.

Naruto hesitated. His arm was already battered and badly bruised from the last three days.

"Naruto," Kabuto said with obvious warning in his voice.

He gulped and finally did as he was told.

Kabuto grabbed his arm and threw his sleeve up. The bandages from the previous injections were still intact. He nodded in satisfaction and rolled Naruto's sleeve up higher. He finally found an area that had not yet been punctured and injected the purple liquid into the Leaf ninja.

Naruto grunted at the sharp pain that the needle dealt and held his breath.

Kabuto pushed the syringe down slowly, watching intently. Once the liquid was completely emptied from the tool, he put it into his pocket and wrapped Naruto's arm tightly.

"There. Now eat."

Naruto sat on the ground again and moved his good arm around, searching for the tray. Kabuto sighed and kicked it lightly. Naruto heard the sound and moved towards it. Once he found it, he began shoving the food into his mouth like a starving, caged animal.

Kabuto smirked as he realized that was just what the ninja had become. Without his sense of sight, Naruto Uzumaki was nothing more than a poor, trapped animal.

Orochimaru stood above Naruto's cell and glanced down at him and Kabuto. He leaned on the iron railing and smirked. Everything was going very well. The orange-clad ninja was cooperating much better than he had anticipated. And the concoction that Kabuto had created was suppressing his powers extremely well. Everything was going exactly as he planned. He couldn't help but laugh slightly as he watched the ninja eat his meal. At first he had shoved everything he could into his mouth, but now, he was eating his meal incredulously slow, not knowing when the next one would come.

"He is learning very quickly," he said to himself, his wry smirk growing longer.


	6. Chapter 6

Naruto Confinement Chapter 6

Kiba, Rock Lee, Sakura, and Kakashi all followed behind Akamaru, watching the massive animal intently, hoping that he would soon find a sign of their missing friend.

Sakura thought back to the quick briefing that Tsunade had given them. Naruto had been sent out on a recon mission to the Grass Country and had not returned on the scheduled date. The five of them had been hand-picked by the Hokage to search for and rescue Naruto.

An instinctive worry for her friend was welling up in Sakura's heart. She was roused from her thoughts by Kakashi. He was pointing down to a clearing where Akamaru and the others had jump to. She nodded and they followed suit.

Akamaru buried his nose in the dirt and sniffed vigorously. Kiba stood next to him and nodded. "Yep, he's definitely been here… but where did he go?"

"Uh… Kiba… there is something here."

Kiba turned around and glanced at Rock Lee. He was leaning on one leg and pointing at something on the ground.

The group ran over to him. "What is it," Sakura called.

"It looks like a sword…"

"Don't touch it! Let Akamaru sniff it first."

Lee stood up and backed out of the dog's way as it ran over to the new object. He ran his nose over the hilt and blade; he looked up at Kiba after a while.

Kiba nodded, understanding and picked up the sword.

"Kakashi…. This looks like an ANBU's sword…"

Kakahi glanced over the sword. "Yes, I think it is an ANBU operative's… But what's it doing here?"

"Maybe," Lee chimed in, "An ANBU member dropped it."

Kakashi shook his head. "I don't think so… ANBU swords are placed on the backs of their wielders. Unless they were fighting there's no way that they could have dropped it."

"Well, how do we know that there wasn't a battle or something," Sakura asked.

"There were no signs of one on the trees, neither are there any here."

"So then, how did it get here?"

"Survey this clearing and see if you can find anything suspicious."

The four chunin nodded and went about the task. Kakashi held the sword in his hand. It felt strange to hold one after using standard kunai and throwing starts for so many years. He placed the sword down gently against a large boulder and began to glance over the clearing.

They looked for many minutes. Finally, Kiba called out to them from behind a large cluster of bushes. "I found the sheath for the sword."

"And I've found a hole in the ground that's just wide enough to have been made by the sword," Sakura said, waving them all over. "What do you think Kakashi-sensei?"

"Well, let's see." He ran over to the rock and grabbed the sword. He carefully placed the sword in the hole. "Hmm… a perfect fit."

"Uh… Kakashi-sensei, could it be that someone put the sword here on purpose?" Lee sat on his haunches looking confused.

"So that it would catch Naruto's attention, you mean?"

Lee nodded.

"It's possible, but who would want to capture Naruto?"

Sakura shivered. "Anyone from Akatsuki."

Kakashi considered the thought. "That may be, but from the looks of the ground around the hole, someone came up behind Naruto. One person and the Akatsuki usually travel in pairs."

"And look closer at the ground," Kakashi continued. "There's a few scrapes here, but they don't look like they were made from a fight… It looks like whoever came up behind Naruto, dragged him off somewhere. "

"Dragged him? So could that mean that Naruto was unconscious," Sakura asked, her concern rising.

Kakashi nodded. "It looks like either Naruto was jabbed from behind and fell unconscious from the blow or…"

"Or someone came up behind him and threw this over his mouth," they all turned around. Kiba was pointing to a small cloth sticking out of the ground. "Seems like whoever used this, didn't try very hard to cover it up…"

Sakura pulled the cloth out of the ground and carefully sniffed it. She cringed almost immediately. "Ammonium," she said pinching her nose, "and a lot of it."

Kakashi's mind pieced everything together in an instant. "Sakura, who do we know that is knowledgeable in chemicals and the like and who works for someone that might be interested in Naruto's _power_?"

Realization formed on Sakura's face. "Kabuto…"


End file.
